


Derivations of L.O.V.E.

by Phosphell



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dreamtale (Undertale), Alternate Universe - Errortale (Undertale), Alternate Universe - Underswap (Undertale), Angst, Angst and Humor, BUT THE ANGST THOUGH, Blood, Blood and Gore, Emotional Manipulation, Error has issues, Everyone Has Issues, FGoD, Fluff, Gaslighting, Gen, Hand-wavey Magic, Harrish6, Humor, I describe blood a lot, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Implied/Referenced Torture, Ink Has Issues, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, My First Fanfic, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Suicide Attempt, Suicide out of pure spite, The Void, The multiverse, The writing style changes a lot but it gets better eventually, What Have I Done, blue has issues, hand-wavey code, no seriously
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:48:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26975383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phosphell/pseuds/Phosphell
Summary: This was the moment where Destiny's gears had spun. Where Error had, in his agony and despair, tore a rift within the world and flew off the edge. Or to be more specific, this is what should have happened. But with a single glance, a single staying thought, their gentle grip on their child had faltered, and Error had truly ripped the strings that both higher Deities had tried to ensnare him with. In a second of clarity, Error had turned toward Ink, and his distant soul so many worlds away filled with HATRED.If we must suffer, then so will you!When Error fell, he took Ink with him.
Relationships: Blue & Core!Frisk, Blue & Dream, Blue & Error, Dream & Nightmare, Error & Core!Frisk, Error & Life, Fate & Destiny - Relationship, Frisk & Sans (Undertale), Ink & error, Nightmare & his gang, No Romantic Relationship(s), Papyrus & Sans (Undertale), Sans & Sans (Undertale), Sans & Toriel (Undertale), W. D. Gaster & Sans
Comments: 4
Kudos: 104





	1. New Encounters

Everyone had always pitied Blue.

Even before the human had fallen from the outside world, even before his brother distanced himself with bottles of honey and his trademark laziness, they pitied him. He could always feel their gazes upon his back, condescending and pitying in equal portions. The feeling only grew sharper as he took it upon himself to become a royal guard, barging on Alphys's door at dead o'clock in the morning- or maybe the night, not that he really cared. Training every day, eyes filled with stars belying his frail 1 HP. All the monsters in the underground knew of it, and all were convinced that he would never make it. Alphys too, though she at least had the decency to say it to his face when he had first approached her. But, but, but, someone must remain positive!

One of the training days, a small droplet of a bunny approached him. A bit abnormal, since people tend to avoid him. It vibrated for a second, seeming to gather up its courage, before speaking out, "I really like your armor, is that what they give to monsters training for the royal guard?"

Blueberry blinked, his normal grin becoming even wider. "No, but isn't it awesome? I crafted it myself, it has a hero's look and everything! Alphys told me that royal guards get real steel and iron armor. So until then, this outfit will be a badge of honor!" He gave the bunny drop a dramatic salute, his neck kerchief flying in the wind.

The droplet nodded enthusiastically. "You must really love the suit if you want to wear it for such a long time." Blue's smile fell a little. "I do love this hero outfit, but I might not wear it for that much longer." The child, unaware of Blue's changing expression, remained undeterred. "But sis said that you will not be a true guard for a long looooonnnng time, cause you are stupid to think you can be strong." The droplet turned back toward him. "Is that true? It's not true, right?"

Blue faltered slightly, grin freezing in place. "Aah..."

"Oh nonono, sorry about everything! My cute little Bun-bun has no idea what he is saying!" A young rabbit lady hurried over and scooped away the droplet, giving him a sheepish look. "But I am sure you can find it in your heart to forgive my little brother. Just look at my little Bun-bun, isn't he simply adorable? Teehee!" She proceeded to stretch the bunny droplet's cheeks in a way that seemed blatantly painful, before quickly retreating.

Blue stood there for a few seconds, then walked to the edge of the treeline where he wouldn't be seen. He sat behind the undergrowth, putting his head in his arms, and scoffed quietly. "At least the kid told you the truth, that counts for something, right?" 

Yet despite all of their knowledge of his hopelessness of becoming a royal guard, no one seemed to reflect on why Alphys had finally agreed to train him. It takes more than just persistent effort to convince the uniformly accepted "most determined monster in New Home" to accept their demands. He had to be cunning enough, skilled enough, that his health would no longer be everyone's liability. But still, after all he had practiced, Alphys had not seen his worth.

Until one weekend, more than a year after the start of their "light exercises", He could comfortably move at the same rate as Alphys. Yet despite the fact that his speed rivaled that of the head of the royal guard (and his ability to dodge far surpassed her), she still refused to so much as proceed onto actual battle training. And in one of the greatest mistakes of his life, Blue ground his teeth in frustration and refused to comply. He challenged her to a fight, which she accepted, in order to ground some humility into him. He fell into stance, and both of them danced around an increasing assortment of shrieking axes and rising bones. The dance grew in tempo, both of them twisting and dodging each other's attacks, a step right, a step left, twirl around twice to avoid the array of axes, hop high enough not to get caught in his own attack patterns, but its fine after all he practiced every day in secret, jump once, jump twice, ju-

squuueeeeelch

Multiple sharp bones stabbed out from Alphys's arms and legs, and one specific bone had jut out from behind, piercing one of her lungs. She squirmed for a few seconds, unable to fall to her knees due to the bone impaling her body. She settled for a weak noise of faint disbelief.

Blue took one look at his handiwork and screamed. "Cut that out." Alphys spat harshly, "someone will come looking if you do." Blue stopped screaming instantly. "Uh um uu-I'll-go-get-you-some-monster-food-now!" Practically crying, he ran to the shop, which was thankfully empty, grabbed half the monster food and dropped all his money on the floor, He ran back to Alphys and attempted to pull out the bones. She snarled "Don't touch that, I'll dust out if it's removed, you at least have to kno- she broke away coughing, clumps of dust and blood in her spit. Blue shoved a cinnabun in her mouth, sobbing messily. For the next several hours, Blue force fed Alphys food, as she slowly removed the bones once the rest of her body was not on the very edge of dusting. At least Alphys lived in a relatively isolated sector of Waterfall.

Once fully healed, she left him and locked herself inside her house. He stood watch outside, wanting to ask but too scared both of and for her. The next day, she poked her head out of the triangle windows of her house, which looked like a dragon and often had a tendency to be flooded because she leaves on the bathtub. "From this day forward, you will be receiving standardized royal guard training. Consider yourself lucky, brat." Blue glanced at her, not a little shocked. "Really?" She gave an affirmative grunt. "That's awesome!" Blue beamed at her brightly. "Battle training begins tomorrow at six. Don't be late or else." She retracted her head from the window, like a dragon from its cave of riches. Neither of them ever brought up his incident ever again.

Blue waited until she was definitely gone, and pumped his fist. "Yes!", he cried, "I've finally completed the first step to becoming a true royal guard." He danced around her doorway happily, whooping in joy at the fruits of his labor.

But the truth was not so easy to swallow. Blue noticed it immediately, the first few times they fought afterward. Alphys was watching him, not just from a critical guide's perspective, but almost fanatically every time he looked the other way. Studying him, he realized. She thinks I am a danger, and only set out her offer of training so she can watch me, and decide what to do with me. The thought of her eyes boring into him gave him shivers. What could she do, if she decides it is not worth training him anymore?

He would rather be feared than overlooked, what did that say about him?

He placed his face into his hands and burrowed further into the undergrowth. It would not do for anyone to see him right now, including his brother. Especially his brother.

His brother was overbearing and condescending, always mocking his choices, his hobbies, his decisions to become a royal guard under a thin veneer of jokes. But unlike the usual controlling family member, he never corrected or directly discouraged his choices. Honeycomb, in fact, would snip and snarl at anyone who makes fun of him, and Blue genuinely understood that Honey loved him dearly. But at the first hint of darkness or deprecation, he would freak out, simultaneously consoling him and threatening whoever had expressed such horrid sentiments around his darling brother, because "How could you say that brother, you can't do that, it's unlike you, Blue."

He was not some stupid doll that only existed for his brother to pin his hopes and dreams on! He should have just as much right to feelings as everyone else! He was Blueberry Sans!

Not even to mention the fact of Honey's jealousy, he swears-

"Heya partner, whats the sullen face for?"

Blue looked up, just about ready to throw snow at the person who interrupted his sulk, and looked at the person's face. The skeleton's face. He reigned in a gasp. Other than him and his brother there were no skeletons left in the underground! Who was this stranger- Blue took a quick look behind him, and there was a god damn portal- and where was he from?!

"My name is Ink by the way, thanks for asking."

Two mismatched eyes peered at him, one eye light framed by a glowing star. He was splattered in paint and pastels, and a long brown scarf dragged in the snow. Despite his scruffy appearance, there was a clear aura of undeniable power wafting in his presence. Blueberry felt numb, like he was in the center of a hurricane, everything shocked into stillness. This was important.

Ink reached his hand out to pull him up, and Blue took it without a stray thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I already have quite a few chapters posted on Wattpad under the name Aliciamyre, and am simply transferring them here. For now, there will be two chapters a week. This is an edited version of the Wattpad one, so there will be small differences in grammar and a few other things.


	2. Carbon Copies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> get kidnapped lmao

Strange, charming, powerful.

Those were the first words that Blue would use to describe Ink

Charismatic, eccentric, naive.

This is the second impression of him that Blue would assign.

Ink spent all of his time in a constant state of motion; He was always doing something, whether it is placating locals of a certain world with his grand entrances and unconscious power, or fighting the darker and crueler skeletons, or drawing and painting entire worlds into existence, he seemed to always be busy. But he always made time for Blue. Why would something so powerful as a literal god give preference to him? He wasn' even as powerful as most other Sanses. At least Dream could be considered another god but he's just a skeleton!

"Is something bothering you?", a cheerful voice called from behind him. Blue jerked and spun around his rolling seat, coming face to face with Ink's wide smile. Ink sans tilted his head, eagerly awaiting his answer. "O-Oh nothing big.", he stuttered, leaning back from Ink's too close face. "I was just wondering whether I should still be a royal guard in my world!" Hopefully that's convincingly emotional enough to deter him. Sensing his discomfort at the red herring, Ink studied him for a moment, calculating. Then his flat smile widened.

"You can tell me what is worrying you, I'll keep it a secret. After all, we are friends, right?"

Blue cursed his distraction. Of course, he forgot sharp Ink could be. There is no way Ink missed his lie, but he could only stick with it now. He feigned his (somewhat genuine) discomfort. "I didn't want to complain to everyone, that is not what a could-be royal guard would do." Though the Sanses here didn't believe in his dreams either. He at least hoped that the other Sanses of the multiverse would show genuine support, even as he started to hate his dream in secret.

All he found were the warped and condescending faces of his brother.

Ink frowned, quietly observing him for another several seconds. He spoke again, this time in a softer tone. "If you do not want to talk to me, I'll respect your decision. But Blueberry, can you at least promise to speak with one of the board? We care about you, and are always ready to give support." Speak with one of the board of Sanses, just to have them parrot it back to Ink? Like hell, he would at least prefer to keep a modicum of privacy, thank you very much. "Of course, no one will turn away the great Blueberry, the Sansational Warrior!" Ink gave a relieved flourish, and he felt a stab of guilt. Ink only wanted the best for him, Blue could lose the sarcastic and ungrateful thoughts.

Ink grinned. "I know what can cheer you up!" He opened one of his strange paint portals, colors swirling within colors, amplifying the strangeness of dimensions beyond their world which leads to his own carbon copies, mirror images of his own self. "C'mon let's go! There are whole new worlds to see. "

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Duck!"

Dream threw himself downward, barely missing the sharp thigh bones that impaled the trees behind him. He immediately leaped back into the fray shooting three waves of arrows in quick succession with Ink weaving complex delayed reaction paint nets targeting a black glitchy skeleton and his flickering inverse blasters lit the night sky as the residents of Snowdin scattered in every direction.

How did he get into this situation again?

Right. Ink decided to introduce himself to his newest creations with him as an escort. So far they were certainly making a stellar impression.

He shot several waves of alternating blue bones after Dream's barrage, several striking the dark skeleton when he was in motion. The taller skeleton shrugged off the injuries as though they were nothing, turning a savage smile toward the Star Sanses (apparently their group had a name now, and notoriety to go with it). Blood and bone flakes fell with every movement, but Error didn't hesitate to launch a destructive counterattack, the blasters going off in a spiral pattern and instantly burning two-thirds of Snowdin to ash. "I lOok ForWarD To tHe daY all YOu AnomaliEs fiNaLly lAy DowN anD DiE!"

Yeesh.

Next to Ink and dream, Blueberry could only distract the raging force of nature, buying a precious few seconds where the two gods could swoop in and deal massive loads of damage. The attacks themselves did not harm Error a great deal due to his ever fluctuating stats, but physical breaks are the only force that can noticeably slow him down, and the gods of creation and positivity were far superior in all capacities - except maybe mental - and all of them knew it. Error himself seemed aware of the fact, and would tend to give him a wayward scowl every time one of his bones impaired the Destroyer's movements, but didn't acknowledge the cheerful Blue except as one of Ink's lackeys. Then again, that is what he thought of the entire Council (or Board, it goes by both names), and in Blue's view it was one of his greatest weaknesses.

Let's see what your dismissal gets, he thought, because this time I have a move specifically for you! With the twist of his hand, like a conductor, five concentric walls of bones flew from the ground, and a GAsTer blaster, larger than any he had ever created, linked its jaws to the bones, preventing any escape. The bones were too narrowly spaced for escape and too cramped for Error to send his own bones from within to punch them out. A light grew in the back of the blaster's throat as a metallic-sounding hum filled the air, and Error seemed to act out of gut instinct, reaching forward and tearing the long bones, smooth and cold like jail bars, into crumpled shards with his bare hands. With a few loud cracks and snaps, the final ring was breached and the dark skeleton tore out of the death trap just in time for the ring to fill with blinding light.

All three skeleton's looked at him, stunned into stillness. "What was that?" Dream questioned softly, looking slightly unnerved as he glanced at the charred circle of ground. "Yeah friend, if you could give a bit of a warning before you try and make such a spectacle" Ink added, "What if I had tried to hug him right then?"

Blue cringed at the image. "Why would you try to hug someone when they are beating the life out of us all?"

"It's a hypothetical situation!"

"..."

Yeah, leave it to Ink to try and be unpredictably chaotic in the midst of a life-threatening situation. In the pause, Blue noticed that there was still a third member who hadn't spoken. Error regarded him, uncharacteristically silent. His hands were scraped to the marrow and bleeding heavily into clusters of dirt on the snow but if Blueberry wasn't mistaken there was now wariness in his gaze, typically only reserved for a ballistic Ink. Error now regarded him as an actual enemy, an actual threat in place of a mere distracting nuisance. He couldn't help but feel a hint of pride that such a dangerous creature viewed him as a threat.

Error hesitated for a moment before advancing forward a step, like a child trying to get closer to visually dissect a particularly interesting animal, an unreadable glint in his eyes. In that moment, Blue saw an almost overlapped view of Ink's idiosyncrasy, where the creator would tilt his head in interest. He shivered.

Ink must have had some kind of revelation, because he immediately tensed. "Blue, move!"

His head snapped toward the creator, off kilt by the sudden outburst. He moved, but not quick enough to escape the inevitable. All Blueberry saw was Dream's eyes widening in alarm, before he was violently jerked off his path by his neck, roughly dragged away from his friends by his kerchief by a forceful grip. He choked on the knot, the bones of his vertebrae and skull grinding together.

"Give him back you empty monster!" Dream's voice.

Error did not lax in his grip, taking advantage of each second to flee from the remaining Star Sanses. He hauled Blue over his shoulder like a ragdoll, using his ever-present blue strings to tear a messy warped portal in the air, different from Ink's beautiful windows to other dimensions. He strung Blue up effortlessly and tossed him into the Anti-void, before gracefully entering his home reality. 

The moment before he would have hit the ground, the strings attached themselves far into the white space above, though the height of the ceiling was too lofty to see, if one even existed. Blue jerked a bit, but found himself thoroughly entrapped within the spider's web. He watched balefully as Error relaxed, swiping a chocolate bar from under several ratty beanbags and enjoying himself immensely as if he didn't just have a hostage strung up right in front of him. The strings were thin but strong and sharp, and having them carry his entire body weight was quite painful.

Error approached him after finishing the chocolate, his strings lowering down to the ground - to Blue's unspoken relief - and he sat as the skeleton turned his glowing, primary-colored eyes on him.

"ThAt Was qUiTE iMpRessIvE."


	3. Preserve Them

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which I totally do not follow the normal fGoD script

"What?"

The small blue skeleton seemed confused, but Error did not understand why. The ring of bones was admittedly quite unexpected. He at least gives credit where it is due, and he had judged this Star Sans to be beneath his notice until now.

"SuCh a rUthlEsS TacTiC Is UncomMon FoR HeRoEs LikE yoU."

The bound skeleton flinched slightly, to Error's growing ire. His expression blanked slightly, as though recalling something particularly unpleasant he didn't want the darker skeleton to see. Interesting. But he quickly reapplied his masks, speaking in an act of courageous defiance, "Who are you to judge what's heroic or not?" He steeled himself." I am a future royal guard! You will not get anything from me!"

Error huffed. Such displays of hopeless bravado annoyed him to no end, and he has seen enough of them for each dimension he destroyed.

"Why dO yOu AssuME I wANt SomEthINg fRom YoU, StAr?"

His captive blinked in bafflement, before gathering himself again, muttering under his breath.

"WhaT wAS ThaT? SpEaK uP, Or GeT DUsTeD."

The short skeleton gave him a glare that wasn't even mildly intimidating.

"My name is Blue, though I am sure you know that already, given you are familiar enough to give me a nickname."

So the captive back talks. Great. As though the voices that plagued his every waking moment (and what remains of his dreaming ones) weren't enough. Blue waited for his reaction, seeming to belatedly realize that he may or may not regret sassing the literal god of destruction while bound in his home turf. Well now he is not getting it. Error turned away and flicked on a single rickety television in front of his beanbags and settled down to watch Undernovela season 2, letting his captive stew in silence.

After maybe ten minutes, Blue finally snapped, no longer able to bear with the oppressive quiet and the pain from the sharp strings. Though he was no longer hanging, the strings still cut into bone.

"If you don't want anything from me, why am I here?! At least untie me, Error!"

To be honest, he wasn't sure why he stole the smaller skeleton, he had simply acted out of gut instinct - a similar sort of gut instinct that provoked him to destroy even before the voices made themselves comfortable in his mind. The gut instinct served him well and saved him from much pain over the centuries, but he doubted Blue would accept that reasoning, but it would be fun to try and have the captive uselessly attempt to analyze his mess of a head. He smiled at him, smug.

"BecAUse I cAn, anD BeCauSe I fElt LIKe iT." Truth.

"Wha- WHAT KIND OF REASON IS THAT!?" Blueberry cried in sheer outrage. Close to literal crying as well, as repressed tears of frustration appeared at the corners of his eyes. Error went back to ignoring him as he struggled in vain, accomplishing in only winding the strings tighter. Blue eventually gave up, sniffling pathetically.

"Error..."

He is ignoring the skeleton.

"Hey Error..."

He is ignoring the skeleton. Ignoring Blue. Yes, he certainly didn't look behind him and see the pathetic puppy eyes his captive aimed at him. As if sensing the gaze, Blue began to cry mournfully.

"Please let me go..."

Blue reminded him of the children that he was forced to kill, they always cried and begged and clung to someone for a few pointless seconds of comfort before Death followed in his footsteps and whisked them away as they struggled to return to a world that no longer exists. It was always the worst part of his duty.

Now he just felt terrible.

"It hurts..."

"JuSt SHuT Up AlReAdY!" He snapped. With a wave of his hand, the strings loosened, wiggling around Blue as if they had a mind of their own. He grabbed the small skeleton, hoisting him by his kerchief before unceremoniously dropping him on a beanbag. He should feel more comfortable there. What makes children stop crying? He sometimes gave Charas toys when no one could stare or accuse him of "eviling". Error looked around the white void, before spotting something tied in the distance. He pulled on a string, and a rope tying the neck of his captive's doll dropped from the sky. He gingerly untied the noose so the doll's seams wouldn't unravel, setting it down next to Blue.

Blue looked at the doll in faint wonder, once again forgetting to be wary. "It's - it's a mini me! Where did you get this from? I don't know anyone who would take the time to make such a pretty doll of me."

"I WaS ThE ONe whO MAdE It." He made a doll of every person he has come across, whether they were enemies or not.

"Really? I wasn't aware a destroyer could create!"

A cold feeling struck him, and a few strings remaining on the ground writhed and twisted until they became knotted together. Error could not create. He can't. He didn't. His very nature urged him toward destruction, and to engage in his counterpart's job would only backfire, unsurprising due to its absolute blasphemy.

{ Three is a crowd after all. }

"It isN'T CrEaTiON. I OnLy DeSiGn ThE DoLls BaSEd Of ExIStINg PeOple, So My dOLls ArE RePliCaTionS OF LiFe, AT BeSt. I MaY DeStROy, BuT I CaN NeVER CReATe."

Blue shot him a concerned glance. Why would he be concerned over his kidnapper? "Even so, The doll is well made." he followed in a softer voice, "I'm just glad that someone sees me." He staggered over from his bean bag with the doll in hand, thin cuts still visible over white bones, and plopped next to him. Error looked at him as though he was insane. What kind of idiot would choose to be near him? Blue spoke again, eyes not leaving his miniature.

"Do you hate the multiverse's worlds and its people because Ink is their creator, or do you hate everyone in general and target Ink because of his power of creation? Ink may be scatterbrained, but he isn't that bad, I promise."

"WhAt WoULD YoU KnoW."

Blue shot him a look of faint offense. "I would like you to know that we are friends, despite the fact that he is a god."

"MaYBe SO, buT InK HaS LiVEd FoR MiLLenIA." Error gave a dry chuckle. "Of coUrSE yOu DoN'T UnDerStANd WhY hE KePt CrEaTiNG FiLtHy AnOmaLIes, WhAt SeCrEts hE haS buRIed. YoU Do NoT KnOw WhAt He HaS DonE."

"Then tell me."

What?

Blue watched him intently, focused and determined. "The two of you are older than all the other beings, so it would make sense that you know more than the rest of the humans, monsters, and gods, right? So tell me. For now, I will choose to listen to you without judgement." He scooted closer to Error, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Why do you hate him so deeply?"

Why did he hate Ink? Why, he had all the reason to despise him! Ink was the one who had chosen to destroy first, ripping everything they had in his mad quest for so-called freedom. Error frowned. Logically, he knew that of all the beings he could truly speak to, he shouldn't tell his stories to one of Ink's closest friends. He only just learned the skeleton's name! But... he peered at the smaller skeleton beside him, Blue was the first creature who had asked this question while truly looking for an answer, not the normal worlders that would fanatically refute his every claim or the dark Sanses who only asked to find the weaknesses of both gods. And he was so lonely...

He hated Ink for breaking the balance permanently, for condemning him to eternal misery.

{ He didn't use to be corrupted and glitched. The destroyer, before his mind was broken and repurposed by fate, was uniquely beautiful, as all the original deities were. Error, Ink, and their counterpart were the first - creation, destruction, and preservation were perfectly balanced. They revolved around a single few worlds, the originals, with Ink creating what applied within his guidelines and Error (if that was his name, but he couldn't remember anymore) destroying the worlds that became corrupted, glitched to often, strayed too far from the origin code, or were simply too sorrowful and cruel. But

That

Could not

Last.

He had returned to the original world to find all the monsters slaughtered next to the final human's rotting corpse, and wandered the place in shock before reaching the Judgement Hall. It was splattered with black paint and pulverized bone marrow, half of the building crumbled by the destruction that he had not arrived in time to witness. Cruel devastation. And in the very center of the hall, Ink looked up and smiled at him with black, soulless eyes, swinging his legs like an innocent child atop the preserver's broken body. Why had he done this?

Why did he hate Ink?

Because the creator had smiled at him, no different from any other nice day, and told him that they would be better off without him, that they would be free.

"Why did you kill him!?"

"Because, pal, three is a crowd after all!" }

Error sighed, opened his mouth then closed it again, and then inquired, "AlRIGhT, WhAt Do YoU KnOW abOut GasTer?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the most part, I'll keep the old notes that I made.
> 
> Swaptale/Underswap belongs to the Undertale community
> 
> The concept of Forced God of Destruction Error belongs to harrish6
> 
> Error belongs to Crayon Queen
> 
> Ink belongs to Myebi
> 
> Undernovela and the X-event (referenced) belongs to Jael Penaloza
> 
> The peaceful balance couldn't LAST because the Preserver was killed lol. Wow that was a lot funnier and more subtle in my head.


	4. A Reason for Hate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The introduction of the third god.

Blue put his hands together in concentration, trying to think about everything he knew regarding Gaster. "Well...he is the man that speaks in hands, the former royal scientist that developed the core right?" He is a skeleton, or maybe a ghoul, and doesn't exist anymore in any of the worlds and timelines, but somehow seems to appear anyway, beyond the edge of view. Other than that, no one really knows?"

"He Is NoT SuPpOSEd To Be aLIvE."

"Well, I can see how that is true." Dead people shouldn't be seen walking around, except by someone who ate a toxic mushroom. But what does Gaster have to do with Error's animosity toward Ink? Maybe the former royal scientist knew them both? In every world, the scientist was a character that had already passed. Then- " Did Ink have something to do with Gaster's death?"

Error expression darkened further, and he stood up from their joint beanbag. It seems he has hit the nail on its head. "InK DeSTroYeD HiM. His SouL PieCes WerE sCattEred, anD mOst FelL In tHe VoiD" Such an interesting choice of words: Destroyed, but not killed. He craned his neck, feeling as though he was receiving knowledge that was in some way forbidden. Error walked in front of him and began to explain.

"ThErE UseD To bE a ThiRD GoD, ThaT KePt ThE PEAcE beTwEeN CreAtIon aNd DesTruCtIoN. HiS TiTle Was [Ga]Me MA[ster], ThE PreSerVer. He MaDe SuRe ThaT EveRYthInG FuNcTiOns WiTHIn RegUlatIonS sEt bY _Toby Fox_.

"Wait, wait. Set by that tiny dog?"

"He Is tHe FiRsT OnE, Oh So gREaT aNd HolY-"

"Now you're just messing with me."

Error smiled creepily. "Am I?"

Blueberry gaped at him. What on earth was he supposed to make of that?! And the destroyer of worlds is making jokes at him, this situation could not get any more surreal. At least now he was certain Error would not hurt him, going as far as to make a doll of him. He snuck a glance at it again. Even more freaking surreal. He should just get back to the story. "So the preserver made sure rules were being followed."

Error nodded, then frowned. "Yes, bUt He HaD fAr MoRe tHaN jusT tHaT. BeCauSe HE ExIstEd, InK's CreAtIoNs WouLD nOt CoLlaPSe aNd ImMeDIaTely CruMBle. He mAnAgEd tHe FuN VaLUeS aNd PuT a LiMit oN wHat InK CoulD crEatE.

A cold feeling entered his bones. Ink never liked it when someone put a damper on his creativity.

But another part of Error's narrative was far more concerning. "You said that Gaster prevented everyone from immediately dying in a massive fiery explosion right? But he died and we are still here! How do you explain that?!"

"AnOmaLIeS."

The insult that Error tossed to everyone he killed, and attempted to kill. Could there be an actual meaning behind it?

"ThIS iS aN aNOmaLy. GasTer ConTiNUeS To ApPeaR, aNd You ConTINuE tO LIvE, ThoUgh BoTh ShOulDN't HaPpeN." His eyes pierced through Blueberry and bathed his white surroundings with an unearthly light. "SuCH An UnNaTuRaL CiRcumSTaNce WilL HaVe COnseqUeNCeS. AlL Of ThE AuS wIlL EvENtUaLlY DesCenD InTo ChAoS As ThE LaWs ThAt GoVeRn Our MuLTiVeRsE BreAk DowN, BeCAuSE THeRe Is No One LEfT TO aPplY ThEM, AnD I CaN OnLy AcT aS a TeMpOrARy RePlAcEmNt.

InK Has cREatEd Far ToO MaNY WoRldS, sO I CaN NOt sToP It, OnLy dElaY bY DesTRoyiNg ThE WorLds ThaT ARe NeW oR UnsTabLe. ThE mOrE AUs TheRe ArE, ThE FasTer This DeTeriOrATioN OccUrs.

Blue gulped, overwhelmed by all the new and horrid information he learned. "So by creating new AUs without fail, Ink is actually harming everyone on a universal scale, and he started this countdown in the first place by killing the preserver." This disaster is worse than anything he had encountered thus far, and the fact that it is knowingly caused by his friend made everything worse. "Th-then what happens when the deterioration is complete?"

Error started to pace around the anti-void, falling deeper into thought. "ThiS iS a TheoRy, BuT I noTIcEd ThaT aLl Aus aRe DraWn To tHe BroKen RemNanTs oF GasTeR, BeCauSe He UsEd tO bE tHe sOurCe of StabiLitY. He Is AlWaYS IntEgRal tO the StorY. I bELievE, WheN ThE wOrlDs FalLs aParT, TheY wIll sEeK, aNd GraViTaTe To wHeRe GasTer's iMprInt iS stRonGesT.

"The void." Blue gasped, "You believe that the corrupted worlds will fall into the void." The fate of souls that enter the true void are, without a doubt, worse than death. "Is this the reason that you have to destroy?"

Error said nothing.

Blue laughed blankly, gazing at the destroyer in a shell shocked manner. "I-I see." His voice was small. "That is a very good reason for hate."

He looked down, not meeting the destroyer's eyes. "I am sorry Ink killed your scientist."

"He WaS noT a scIEntISt."

"Huh?" Blueberry looked up.

"GasTer's SouL ShaRdS maNifEstED tHaT wAy bEcAUsE ThaT iS WhaT hE wAnteD tO be. A sCienTisT aNd A fAthEr.

Blue gazed at Error, who was somewhere else, looking into the past. His eyes were glazed and there was a small smile on his face. He had never seen the destroyer smile before. "He must have been a good person, that even the remains of his soul was a person who wanted to bring progress and take care of others." He could almost imagine Gaster, a taller man well dressed in a suit and cloak, smooth and white bone, stern but gentle.

'tHe BeSt."

And what else is there to say? He went back to inspecting his doll, reflecting on other people's sins, which crawled down upon his back as if he was the one who committed them. If Ink had really not told anyone else about this, (the entire board of Sanses for sure doesn't know), what else could he be hiding from them? If this were anyone else, then he would not have believed them as much. But Error was Ink's nemesis, the two of them apparently Yin and Yang, and Blue was still a boss monster, still had senses like one, and he can sense it, he could tell-

In his story, Error did not lie.

His senses may fail, since there is a chance that Error could be insane, but he did not assume. Error was certainly rude and curt and awkward, not knowing how to interact with people in any sense, but he did not seem mad.

Ink was flighty and impulsive and sometimes obsessive, but Blue did not think him capable of committing such a devastating act.

He buried his face in his hands. Just who should he trust now?

"wHat Do YoU tHinK oF InK?"

"You expect me to tell you." He regretted this the moment he spoke, after all Error had told him so much that he had no right to ask for, but was given an answer anyway. Plus, there was no one else who could possibly hear, who could possibly condemn him except the destroyer of worlds. Well, he thought hysterically, might as well commit blasphemy, we've already come this far.

"Ink is not an evil person - at least not from what I have seen myself, but I really don't think he should have as much power as he does. He throws it around as if the universe is his sandbox." Error was giving him a weird look, so he hastily corrected, "Well it actually is but he is the creator, and he is too careless with his position. He does not care for most people's opinions, and he can sometimes be manipulative, not in a good way."

"Ink denounces "evil" and preaches "love and harmony", but turns right around and creates worlds like Horrortale and Underworld, and expects them to be converted to his ideals. Sometimes I really just wonder if he wants to play at being some kind of hero." This hypocrisy had always bothered him, and the thought that Ink purposefully made them just to watch the inhabitants suffer creeped him out.

Almost as much as my darkness and morbid sarcasm scares other people. It would be better if I just cut it out and be Ink's perfect subject. Easier.

"Aah!" A jolt of pain went through his skull, leaving a pounding headache. What was that? He rubbed his face with his glove, not that it helped much.

"BlUe?"

He opened one eye and squinted at Error. "It's nothing, just a weird stray thought, don't mind it-" he quieted as he saw the look of unadulterated horror on the destroyer's face. He hurried to Blue, suddenly fretful, helping to pull him up from the comfortable bean bag.

"yOu CaN'T ReMaiN HeRe."

He opened a glitched portal to Underswap, to Blue's shock, and ushered him out toward the ponds of the isolated Waterfall. It must be dangerous to stay for long in the anti-void, but the destroyer seems to manage fine. He looked back at the portal, and resolved himself. He needs to know more, next time. 

"See you after the next battle, our secret! I'll bring bisicles and cinnamon buns! He gave him his brightest Star Sans™ grin and waved to the closing portal tear. The next moment, the portal disappeared, as though it had never existed in the first place, among the soft lily ponds and fireflies that swam in the cool air.

On the other side of the portal, in an empty world, a dark Sans huffed, then smiled back.

"SeE yOu THeN."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Horrotale belongs to Sour-Apple-Studios
> 
> Underworld belongs to CoulsArt
> 
> For some reason the dialogue keeps getting longer it's so weird :/


	5. Her Garden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A pleasant tea party starring Error and Vitae

Life and destruction were having a tea party.

Or to be more accurate, Error sat at a stained-glass table covered with tea, biscuits, and snail pie, staring into space while Vitae grew flowers around his feet, the gentle Toriel humming a tune as she tried to gain his attention. He stared blankly at the cooling brew in front of him. She waved the flowers around his legs a few times, before letting a feisty bloom rise above his head and drop a load of pollen on his face. Error sneezed, then gave her a cold glare.

Vitae smiled gently. "Now that I have your attention, may I ask what is bothering you? You seem a bit distracted today. Is the tea not up to your standards?"

He shook his head quickly, it was unspoken among everyone that knew her - never criticize Life's tea. " NoT at ALl, ItS tAStE iS jUSt As wONdErFUl As eVeR. JuST aN AnNOyiNG ThOUgHt iS aLl."

Vitae gave him a soft look of concern. "Well, are the Board of Sanses harassing you again? Do you need me to inconvenience them?" She had the authority to completely halt productivity, through the sheer power of every first-world problem in existence. Life can be completely infuriating, at times. Not that most people realized when she meddled, but when she did... ooh boy.

Error did not want her to hurt Blue. The small skeleton kept seeking him out, just barely slipping out of the Board's sight, smiling with deceptive optimism and sharp eyes, asking him to tell his stories. Each time he would stay a little longer, because "Do you know how hard it is to sneak around after that time you kidnapped me?! Really, my brother would not leave me alone, so we must make the most of this time!" Error originally had no problem with this, but staying in the anti-void for long periods will corrupt Blue's code, and if someone were to discover that Blue had been spending time with him...Ink is not nearly as merciful as he may seem.

And it was nice, having someone listen to him with their full attention. It was less lonely. He treasured his time with Vitae and Core!Frisk, but like him, they were both deities with full time jobs, watching over everything living and supporting the omega timeline, so truly spending time with them was very rare, due everyone's schedules constantly getting in the way. Eventually, they all gave up, and he would only meet them once several years. Though they were both good people, better than him, and he still does not understand why they would go through the trouble of meeting and often hiding him.

Another load of pollen landed on his face, and he sneezed so hard half the garden glitched with him. Life cringed, but kept waiting for him to explain.

"It"S JusT tHaT SoMEoNe iS aLWaYS FoLLoWiNG mE, lIStEnINg tO mE, aNd SneAKiNg AwAy frOm sAFetY fOr nOtHinG."

She sighed. "I might need a bit more information than that to help." She took a sip of her tea and a small patch of gold flowers bloomed near the glitching areas.

" A skELetOn I mEt hAs DEcIdeD tO fINd mE eVErY wEeK fOr nO aPpARenT rEaSOn oThER ThAn fOr sOMe oF mY sToRIeS, dESpiTe bEing cLOsE tO iNk. hE mAKeS wEIrD jOKeS aBOuT beInG mY spY, aNd iNcESSanTlY tHanKs mE foR mY dOll." Blue had listened with rapt attention to the worlds that were already gone, the tragic circumstances of Flowerfell and the Handplates twins. He asked about Error's job and his theories with a blank face and did him the favor of not accepting nor condemning his sins. Eventually, Blue had gotten more comfortable, and opened up his cunning and compassionate nature, sharing his thoughts, making morbid jokes with him over the fate of the multiverse.

He broke out of his thoughts to the sound of Life's laughter. She beamed at him, mirth dancing in her eyes. He scowled at her.

"WhAT." 

"Oh Error", she said in between chuckles, "You just made a friend!" She gave him a look filled with far too much pride and maternal joy considering the situation, and he had to stifle the urge to remind that he was older than the multiverse itself. "This is a wonderful occasion! How about you invite him over sometime, and I'll bake you both some butterscotch pie."

That didn't sound so bad. Maybe he could invite his friend(?) to Life's Garden. Her sanctuary was safe and secure and beautiful, and there was no fear of being caught by anyone here. If Blue still decided to hang out with him.

"ThAt SEeMS AlrIghT. I wIlL sEe WHeN wE hAVe tImE."

She looked up again, her honed mother instincts sensing his other worries. She gave him a reassuring glance. "I know you are worrying about messing up. It is okay." She winked, and a hint of mischief entered her expression. "If you mess up, figure out what is wrong, and you will get a lily better each time. And don't worry, you will grow on him, like you did for me."

He gave her a flat look. "ThAt wAs tErRIbLe."

She sipped her tea elegantly, the cup failing to hide her triumph. "You're smiling anyway."

He was.

They continued for a few minutes, discussing mundane things like the weather and who did something interesting this year, when suddenly they were interrupted by a light jingle that sounded like bells. A wind chime tied to a blossoming tree branch gave off a soft noise, once, and twice, signaling the garden's owner. Life looked up and made a faint noise of complaint.

"Is SOmE AnOMaLy TrYInG tO rESuRreCT tHe DEaD aGAiN?" Error rose from the chair. The bells signified that it was time to leave, as she would have to take care of business again.

"It happens too much", She fussed, "You'd think that these people would learn."

He froze when Vitae glided over and gave him a hug. She patted his head, and for a second he considered reminding her of the death and damnation that he causes, but her paws were so warm. She smelled like lingering dew and freshly watered earth.

A portal appeared within the roots of the largest tree in the garden. Vitae moved to reach the portal, but jolted where she stood. Her warm smile dropped. She moved her paws to grab his shoulders, hard despite the warmth she radiates, and her large doe eyes were hollow and intense. She whispered, almost too low for him to hear.

"Be safe my child. Something is stirring."

She straightened, returning to the monster he knew. The ominous moment gone, like a fleeting song in a dream. With a simple "Goodbye Error", she was gone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Error stormed into his home, anxious. Vitae's warning, though certainly alarming, gave absolutely no information. One more thing that is abnormal lately, he grouched, and where is that infernal ringing noise from! Did he snag one of Life's wind chimes? A closer look showed a bright blue phone, buzzing on the Anti-Void's cold plane. Blue must have left this here when he last visited. He declined the call, but whoever was trying to contact it was persistent. With a growl, he accepted to call, ready to give the person on the other end persisting nightmares.

Blue's voice rang out from the device.

"Wait!", he cried, "Don't hang up!" He sounded desperate. "I'm calling from my brother's phone, who am I talking to?" Alarmed, Error fumbled with the phone.

Was there a chance that his brother could listen in? Well, better safe than sorry, and Blue would recognize his voice. "tHe TOoTH FaIrY."

Blue's voice gained a note of relief. "So I got the right person." He is playing along. "Mr. Tooth Fairy, you promised me candy, but it was sold out. Can you drop some in my shed?" A few more shuffling noises, and the call disconnected. Error waited for a minute and then created a glitched portal to _Underswap 1_ shed. He looked in, coming face to face with Blueberry.

The smaller skeleton looked shaken, eyes darting from the windows to the shed door, then to the portal Error was halfway in. He made way for him, and he entered the Anti-void without hesitation. Blue stepped in and took his bright phone from the beanbag where Error left it.

Blue spent several seconds collecting himself, and faced him, face blank. "I-I have something I need to ask."

"SUreLy YoU dID nOt jUSt cALl mE fOr THiS."

"I didn't! I...j-just answer the question, please?" He was unusually nervous.

"FiNE."

Blue cleared his throat. "I-If you really despise being forced to destroy, t-then why do you act so cruel when you are destroying?" What a strange question to ask, but not a topic Error minds talking about. The reason is simple after all.

"IT iS eASiEr tO dEstRoY sOMeOnE iF tHEy hAtE mE. WhO iS eASiEr tO hAtE tHaN a CrAZy MonStER ThAt OnLy cArEs fOr DesTRuCtIOn?"

Blue made a wounded noise. He steeled himself, looked at the ground then at him with a strange expression. Error waited until the smaller skeleton could speak. Blue stuttered. "T-This is about Ink a-and The Board of Sanses."

"They are planning to kill you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:
> 
> Woooo sorry for the massive hiatus AP was an absolute mess this year. From now on you all will have (at least) weekly updates
> 
> Reapertale and Life belongs to Ren
> 
> CORE!Frisk belongs to DokuDoki
> 
> On occasion I will refer to Life as Vitae and Death as Mortem because I find that the Latin sounds cooler (The forms are not nominative but who cares)
> 
> The angst is coming and it's coming hard so brace yourselves my dear readers
> 
> Next POV: Ink


	6. Truly Free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ink's creation.

He was so close. 

{In the beginning, as far back as he could remember, Ink had been special. He was the first God ever created, existing before any other creature, beloved by all. The child of Fate who had been given freedom by the Goddess to create and enjoy anything he wanted, sent to create worlds for his own enjoyment. There was just one problem.

The child had no soul.

No soul means no emotion, and without an example to emulate or a teacher to instruct beyond the distant voice, the child had no motivation and felt content floating alone in the empty world. The first thousand years of the multiverse, the child spent alone, except for the crooning voice of his Goddess and familiar absent space.

But the space was created for a reason, and the consciousness called Fate must carry out the purpose that the child was assigned since he had no reason to do it himself. She called out for help. Somebody came. Something trotted toward the child.

A white fluffy creature popped out of thin air, and with a wagging tail and a barking noise, the entire space bent and warped, space and heat and gravity bending around it like nebulae falling toward the center of a star, twirling and changing. Time began, as something had finally given it meaning. Wind howled. Heat flowed. Energy sparked. 

And then there was light. And as light came into existence, it was quickly followed.

color

For the first time in his life, the child felt.

How beautiful…

He reached out to touch the rainbow and gasped. A pink splatter covered his fingers, and he desired more. Both his hands extended into the falling color, and the child experienced everything that had been missing. He knew joy and anger and sorrow, and he was finally whole. With a thought, he submerged himself completely within the colors, dancing with greens and yellows, mourning with blues that he did not understand before, and with the red and pink he truly had what Fate always wanted: the passion and drive to create. But what was there to create? The child knew nothing except himself, and a distant voice without a face.

And with the Ink, for the first time in his life, the child felt loneliness.

He turned toward the creature. “What do I do?”, he asked, “What is there for me to create?” 

The creature appeared to understand him. It raised a single paw, and a matrix appeared. A piece of code formed from the matrix, separating and taking shape. People rose from the code, each of them unique and lovable, and over a span of 32 months, the first world was created. A city full of kind monsters.

Ink watched the whole process, learning and categorizing everything that occurred. “So that is how you create a world,” he said to no one. He looked for the white dog, (that was what the creature was called), but the dog had entered the world it created, no longer mythical nor powerful. Ink snuck into Undertale and poked the dog, which yipped. It was just a normal dog. His Goddess had fallen silent as well, allowing her child to do whatever he pleased

He left the world disappointed but quickly turned his attention to his own ability, only now interesting to him. Now, he thought, what should I do with Undertale? He looked at the world, categorizing each color. The peaceful white snow, the depressed blue of Sans, the nervous yellow of Alphys, lush green and energetic orange skimmed past his sights. A beat, and his attention was caught by a blazing red. Red, the color of pain and rage and passion, of a skeleton’s dripping blood, and the first and last humans’ souls throbbing in perfect harmony. He grinned.

Determination.

Let’s make it red. 

And the first Alternate Universe - Underfell - was created.

Ink watched his people in fascination. Their world was more red than Undertale. They were crueler, harsher, and suffered more than their counterparts, which made the moment that their hope was crushed so much sweeter. When Asgore was killed, all of their souls cried with agony. He looked down from above, utterly enraptured. He wondered if the tears they cried when no one else saw tasted sweet.

How much red can he add, before they all fall apart?

The second Au was nameless and sightless, the residents barely held together through scales and skin and fur as bright blood ran beneath their bodies. The third were senseless with rage, the monsters extinguished before a year from infighting and rebellion until red-tinged dust clogged the cavern passages and rivers until the few remaining survivors died from oxygen deprivation. The fourth showed creatures truly deserving the titles of monsters, deformed things with mismatching limbs, dripping faces that looked like they were permanently screaming, and their souls twisted into hollow masses of corrupted scarlet energy. The fifth-

“Haven’t you done enough?”

This was the first time anyone had spoken to Ink besides his Goddess. He turned in surprise, and saw a tall being, with sleek eyes and dressed in a long black coat and turtleneck. The man gave his creations a look of faint disgust, before refocusing on his face. He gave a small bow.

“Greetings, Ink. I am the Game Master, sent by Toby Fox for management of his world and the greater multiverse. I am also here to guide your actions and keep the balance within this space. You may call me Gaster if you wish.”

Ink tilted his head. What exactly was “management” supposed to do in this case?

Gaster seemed to realize what he was thinking. He cleared his throat and gestured to the worlds which were saturated with red. “I am supposed to keep the worlds functional and in line with the source code, free of corruption. Basically, keep this from happening.” 

He felt a sense of unease. Was the man going to restrict him from creating? “What will you do? Are you going to make the worlds disappear?” He looked at the mutated monsters, his emotions reflecting theirs. Did Gaster appear because of him? Considering that he never would have appeared if not for the red worlds, Fox probably sent him to watch over everything and chain his actions.

“Your worlds will be destroyed, though not by me. The second Goddess should send them soon.” Gaster’s eyes swept around the space. “The other one was deemed a necessity after your actions, and his existence mirrors and opposes yours.” Right on cue, they both felt a sharp tug on their souls and color leached from them, leaving the black and white, and a single violet soul in front of Gaster. Why did he have a soul?

A second soul appeared, the three primary colors swirling within a black outline. Blue strings flew at Gaster, who quickly summoned bone hands and tied the strings into knots, before pulling the strings to himself. A black skeleton, still connected to his strings, fell in front of them both. He looked at them both, his bright eyes lighting up the space. Colorful, Ink thought, unlike me.

Gaster approached the new god. The black skeleton shifted forward, inquisitive. He asked him, “Do you know your role?” The skeleton nodded and blinked. “Good.” He gestured to the red worlds. “The fun value of these worlds exceed -100, they are extremely unstable and will self-destruct and affect the original world if they are not taken care of. Can you destroy them?”

“I will do my duty” the black skeleton said plainly, the first words that Ink heard him speak. He stood up, and entered Red World version4. Ink inhaled. The skeleton’s strings made quick work of the mindless beasts within. As the last human was slaughtered, and they fell over a rotting flower's ashes, the world glitched, and magical energy pulsed out, just once, as if the world itself was reaching to grab Ink, tearing him apart for their suffering. Then he exhaled. Red World number four was gone, no trace of it ever existing in the first place. No trace of him. Terror and disgust gripped every inch of his being.

“What have you done?!” he cried

“They were suffering.”, the other god said, “and I made it stop. What is wrong with that?” 

“You killed them!”

The skeleton’s strange eyes bore through him. “Strange how you never showed such a feeling when they killed themselves. Because of how you made them, death was a mercy.”

How dare he destroy his creations and blame him for it! Those were Ink’s people! He is the one who decides all that they are and ever will be. Their lives were his to claim. NO matter how corrupted they were, how much they suffered, they belonged to him, and made special because of it. How dare he.

Ink slashed his arm at the dark skeleton’s face, hoping to hurt him, blind him…

A strong hand grabbed his wrist, stopping his metacarpals from reaching the shocked face of the skeleton in front of him. Gaster looked down at him with an expression of thinly masked anger. He was so very red...

How much red can he add, before they all fall apart?

...He pushed his limits on what he created, seeing just how far he could go before the world’s were destroyed by that abominable destroyer, the dark skeleton…

...Gaster’s blood dyeing the Judgement Hall, until the very light was dark red…

...The destroyer’s face when he saw, teeth bared, too horrified to attack and destroy the corpse…

...My friends, we are the Star Sanses, and we bring peace to the multiverse…

...The perfect martyr, that ErRoR has no choice but to destroy…

...my SOUL…}

He was so close to being truly free. Everything is in its place. Now all he needs to do is strike.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ink has no soul. Color is very important to him though, for obvious reasons
> 
> Underfell is not the first Au, but is was one of the earliest, so I’m taking liberties
> 
> Toby Fox.
> 
> I’m actually done with up to chapter 20 of this, I just haven’t posted it here. Sorry, I’ll get to it now.
> 
> (the writing gets better I swear)


	7. Preparations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE: This is an old story, please excuse the bad writing

Error listened to Blue’s information, scowl growing darker with every word.

“sO”, he snarled, “Ink gAThEreD a bUNcH oF mOnSTeRs, cReAtEd jUsT FoR kiLlInG mE, oR GeTtInG kIlleD bY mE. He cREaTeD A nEw WorLd, cOMpleTELy eMpTy bUt sTiLl tAkInG uP cOdE iN tHe mULtIvErsE, As a LurE.” Seething, he slashed at the nearby strings, tearing the bindings far above. Dolls fell from the sky like corpses. “hOw sTUpiD doES hE thINk I aM!?”

“W-well I don’t think that’s what he was going for, if he knows that you have no choice. Apparently the new world is ‘a very big data drain’ in Ink’s words. T-trying to destroy it is inevitable, maybe?” Blue tapped his foot. “And are you sure that the monsters were created just to kill you?”

Error quickly considered that, but he recalled that Ink had never been much of a fan of killing his unique works. Well, there was one way to determine that. “HoW mANy mOnSTeRS fROm OrigInAl AuS arE tHErE?

Blueberry cringed. It seems that he came to the same realization.

“Almost none…”

“MiGHt aS wElL sCoPe ThEm oUt. I dOUbT tHeY aRe MoRE tHaN cAnNoN fOdDeR, BuT tHErE iS nO hArM iN sEEinG hOW maNy hE gAthErEd.” He tore open the air, creating a portal that does not lead to a place but rather breaks the space within it into source code, a black abyss with constantly fluctuating numbers. Error peered into the flowing binary code, sucking in a sharp breath.

“What is it?”

“A ViRuS.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Is everybody ready?”

Over a hundred monsters from different Aus and backgrounds stood to attention, bone and dust soldiers prepared to give their lives to put down the destroyer. Ink looked upon his makeshift army, determined yet ecstatic at the ambition of being the last of the original gods remaining. Nothing would hold me back, there will be no more obstacles, no more chains! The Gods acted so callously, giving him all the world, all the possibility, and then restricting him from doing as he truly wanted, unable to touch the light above, to carry out his inspiration. But no longer.

Now how should he decide the terrain of the empty Au? His hollow world would look good with jagged spires, he mused, so that anyone who touched the ground would be skewered. But Error would gain an advantage, since his strings would latch on the jagged ridges and secure him while his minions would fall and be skewered. What a shame. A series of hills with a central valley would do the job, and his army could have the upper ground and the element of shock (he doubted that Error would feel too surprised). His mind made up, Ink went to work, painting the hills and valleys with a flat white, where a dark skeleton would be exceedingly visible, rolling hills appearing with a flourish as the temporary monsters watched on in awe

Good. They will be more easy to maneuver if they worship him.

More quick to sacrifice themselves against Error’s fury. 

“Ink!”, Dream called. Ink had sent him to gather a few of the Board of Sanses, to witness the events about to take place, and aid the other monsters if necessary. Well, all except for-

“Blue is missing!”

What.

“What do you mean he is missing?! He knew the plan, and we had so many meetings to confirm the date and time!” Dream blinked at him for a moment, stunned. He realized that his masks had started to slip, due to his apprehension and the inordinate amount of red in his vial, saved for the occasion of finally bashing Error’s face in. _Get ahold of yourself, Ink._

It was alright. This was simply a small complication, and all he had to do was be a little faster to compensate for Blue’s absence. Easy.

“I’m sorry for yelling, it’s just that the time is close, and I feel nervous. I can’t show the others now, being responsible for them and all.” He gave the god of Dreams a slight smile, so stark against his normal grins. _Hook-_

“Oh Ink…you know that we are all here to help you, not the other way around. You're not alone.”

He affected an expression of faint doubt. “I know. But one way or another this is the end.” If only Dream knew how true that statement rings. “But what if we don’t succeed? What then?” _Line-_

Ink threw his arms around Dream, discarding the emotional pretense. The soft spoken Dream, likely assuming that he was searching for support, hugged him back. The god’s gold eyes blazed with newfound determination to aid his leader, his absolute trust secured by the performance. _Sinker._

What a loyal little pawn, he thought euphorically. Ink hugged him, wondering absently how much force it would take to crush his bones, but the main force of his attention was focused on the pulsing of Dream’s soul, thrumming like a heartbeat, warm and comforting. He squeezed the other skeleton tighter, ignoring his mild discomfort. Soon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“A-a virus?”

Error scoffed. “ThE WoRLD tHaT Ink cReAtEd iS nOt oNlY a dAtA dRAiN oN iTs oWn, bUt iNfEcTs eVeRYtHinG aRoUnD iT aS weLl. On tOp of tHaT, EacH iNfECteD wOrlD aCtS aS aN aMpLifIeR tO tHe dRaIn”

“That certainly seems like overkill”, Blueberry gulped, “But are the infected worlds targeting others as well, or is the source the only spread of malignant code?” 

“jUsT tHe SouRcE.”

“T-they want you to go to the empty world, and nowhere else. I-if that doesn’t scream red flag, what will? This is a blatant trap. And the only reason why the trap would be this obvious is if Ink has no doubt he will be the victor.”

He was right, Error thought unhappily, but despite that, he had no choice except to enter the hollow world. The world cannot be destroyed until every living thing originating within has perished. Was there any way to circumvent the trap? He looked to Blue.

“So unfair, but I don’t think-” Blue found his sentence cut off, as dark palm bones swiftly encircled his neck as the larger skeleton slammed him on the flat ground, a glitched gaster blaster appearing beyond them both. Error’s face was blank. He fell limp. 

Error narrowed his eyes, gripping his neck tighter, but still not enough to hurt. The blaster’s maw opened, and a sphere of white light blazed within. Blue tensed, strangely only feeling a detached sense of fear, and he lay still as the light flashed, casting a twisting shadow over them both. The blaster hummed metallically, opening its jaws to blast, to vaporize them both…

And disappeared.

Error stared at him, not moving his arms. “I wAs AbOuT tO kIlL yOu. WhY dIdN’T yOU rESiSt?”

He stared right back, equally unexpressive. “You have no reason to hurt me, since I won't be returning to Ink. The worst possible solution is to become a hostage, but you don’t seem like the type for that.”

Error released his hold, stepping back to a respectful distance. He quickly got off the ground and brushed himself off. Blue glared at the larger skeleton as all emotions finally started hitting him.

“What the hell!”

“I nEeDEd tO tEsT sOmEtHiNg.”

“And there was no better way than attacking me?!”

“I trUsT yOU.”

Blue gaped at him.

Undeterred, Error continued “I nEeDeD tO sEe If yOu WeRe AfRaId oF mE, iF yoU wErE jUsT hErE bEcAusE yOu fEaR Ink’s fUtUrE mOrE. I wOuLD nOt TrUlY HaRm yOu.” He pulled his soul out of his body, and glided to Blue. He held out his glitching soul, urging the small skeleton take it.

“W-What…”

“I DoN’T hAvE A ChOicE eXcEpT tO gO, bUt bOsS mOnsTer’S SouLs lASt a WhILe OuTSiDe tHeIr BoDieS- aNd A GoD’s CaN lAsT lOnGeR. EvEn If I gEt DusTeD, I wIlL cOme baCk.” Blueberry looked on in shock as Error gave an honest-to-God smile, “aS lOnG aS yOu aRe SaFE.” 

Blue touched the soul, which sparked with powerful yet restrained magic. He cupped it with his hands delicately. He then looked to the other skeleton, who stood in surprise for a moment, then spoke again.

Error marveled at him for a second. Usually, no one could directly touch a soul without being affected in some way, but Blue appeared to be perfectly fine. 

“aT tHiS pOiNt, yOu mAy HAvE tO hIdE aWaY. Ink WiLl tAkE aCtIOn iF hE fINdS yOu hAvE dEfeCTeD. WhIlE tHeY fOcUs On Me, yOu hAvE A tIMe FrAmE tO TaKe meMEnTOs, or sAy gOoDbyEs, oR wHatEveR. I tRUsT yOu wiLL dO wHaT iS bEsT.”

Blue gazed at him, in faint awe and disbelief at the amount of trust Error is putting in him. He faltered, but quickly straightened in determination. “I will prove to you that I am worth trusting. Good luck with the hollow world.” He softened. “You are my only friend, you know. Please be safe.’

Error nodded. “OnCe YoU aRE fiNisHeD, CalL oUt tO Core!Frisk fOr hElp. ThEy wIlL hEaR yOu. AsK tO Go tO Vitae’s GaRdEn. sHe WilL hElP.

He tore a portal that led to the first iteration of UnderSwap, the glitches buzzing stronger than ever to mirror the Multiverse’s descent. Blue took one step into the portal, then turned to look back at him and gave a solemn salute. The portal closed, and Blue, holding his soul, went with it.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Error sighed. He should probably check the garden one last time, just to make sure it was completely locked down. Life controlled who entered and left the garden, and her current codes were only keyed to herself, Error, Core, and Death. He touched down on the soft earth, then proceeded to pull up the garden’s bytes. He frowned. Death’s presence had already been removed from the garden and replaced with Blueberry’s, which was quite strange. Error turned to look through the vine-draped branches. Beyond the tree, Life sipped her tea. She felt off, his intuition telling him that this was the same being who had grabbed his shoulders, whispered premonitions, waited for the end to come with lightless eyes while the sounds of nature had fallen silent. But she still did not register on his instincts as harmful. He opened a portal to leave.

A paw grabbed his shoulder once again. The imitation of Toriel smiled gently.

“This world always needed a destroyer, my child.”

A soft paw lightly brushed his face.

“I am just sorry that it was you.”

She removed her hands and regarded him, before she swept out of the garden. Error gazed in blank shock at the place where she had just been.

_What kind words she had to say, yet how unfathomably cruel they were._

He left, and walked toward his fate.

Well, I thought I should make a personality profile thingie for the main characters so far, so yee:

Error  
A good person, though he has the tendency to be short with people sometimes so comes off as curt or rude  
Has a temper  
Rarely takes breaks  
Likes: sweets, television, gardens, children, knitting  
Dislikes: Ink, himself, crowds, being judged

Ink  
Pleasant to be around, but you don't know if you are being manipulated  
Very creative  
Obsessive, tilts his head when curious.  
Likes: all forms of art, heroes, his Goddess, control, red  
Dislikes: Error, having no soul, destruction, lack of info

(They are both smart, due to the benefit being thousands of years old. You pick up a few things, even if you try not to)

Blue  
Smol. Feels inferior to others  
More optimistic than most Sanses, has a streak of cunning that is well hidden  
Stammers when nervous/emotional  
Likes: snow, dark humor, acknowledgement, puzzles, tacos  
Dislikes: condescending people, being picked up, tall shelves, lies

Vitae (T̵̳̺̫̒͋̃h̸̠͈͗e̷͇̹̙̽̅ ̶̫̄̀p̸̳̖̊r̴̹̆͒͆e̷͈̳͑̉͝s̷̟͍̣͗̽ê̷͚̘̘̍n̸̲͂c̶̲͒̓͘͜e̶̢͇͓̎)  
Stronft, maternal tendencies.  
Kind, sometimes stern. Can be anywhere from annoying to very cruel if angered.  
Ṕ̶͖r̷̙̄o̸͙͌t̷̡̅ē̸͙c̶̫̓t̵̨̽ḭ̴́v̵̳͘ē̵̜  
Likes: tea and biscuits, living things, innocence, generosity, h̸͙̕e̷͎̍r̷̞ ̸̣͗c̴͕̾h̷͈͛i̴̩̎l̵̲̓d̶͆ͅ  
Dislikes: decay, food critics, artificial things, ṱ̴̐h̴̠̃ḙ̵̅m̷̬̎, the Anti-void

-and more to come!


End file.
